Lunenburg has officially joined the craft beer craze with the opening of its first brewery, the Shipwright Brewing Company.
Adam Bower, the brewery’s owner, said he was excited to share his love of beer with locals.
“I’ve always been very passionate about craft beer. I knew the town needed one and would embrace one,” said Bower, who also owns the Grand Banker Bar & Grill and Brigantine Inn.
Shipwright Brewing is situated in the heart of historic Lunenburg and is housed in the same buildings as Bower’s other businesses.
He added that he’s been interested in opening a brewery for some time.
In fact, when he first bought the Grand Banker in 2014, Bower said he pushed to make more craft beers available on tap.
Working as a restaurateur and experimenting with a large selection of beers, he added, gave him the confidence to open the brewery.
“I wanted to be the one to bring it to the town and take my passion and commitment of craft beer to the next level,” he said.
And despite the fact that the brewery only opened at the end of 2018, Bower noted he already has plans to expand.
Bower bought another property along Victoria Road in town and plans to convert it into a larger retail space, production facility and beer garden.
Although Bower acknowledged that the current brewery space along Montague Street is limited in size, he said it has a lot to offer.
“Everything is very functional,” he said, noting that the brewery has perfectly combined the production area, tasting bar and retail space.
“I think it has created a cool environment where people can sit at the bar and on a brew day, be there watching our brewmaster Kellye.”
Bower is brewing in conjunction with brewmaster Kellye Robertson, who has previously worked for Garrison and Spindrift Brewing.
Together — from the company’s logo to beer names — they have crafted a product which offers a little taste of Lunenburg with every sip.
The brewery name, explained Bower, was a particular challenge.
“I wanted something that said Lunenburg,” he said but added that it took several attempts to find the right name.
Inspiration struck in the form of a heritage plaque outside his building; it explained that a shipwright had built the building and so Bower found the perfect nod to Lunenburg’s seafaring traditions.
This trend has also lent itself to Shipwright’s beers, all of which will be available at the brewery or on tap at the Grand Banker.
For example, their beer Cutwater Kolsch calls to mind the nautical term for the leading edge of a boat.
“For us, it was symbolic as we cut our way into the industry,” said Bower. “We’re creating our own art down here with our beers.”
